Real Estate

A Brownstone, Greek Revival and Two With Parking to See This Weekend, Starting at $1.399 Million

None are perfect, but all have original historic detail and appear to be in move-in condition.

by Stephen Zacks

02/22/2019 5 minute 0

Here for your speculative real estate viewing pleasure we have a selection of open houses ranging from a mansard-roofed wood-frame Greek Revival in Fort Greene asking $2.7 million to a Romanesque Revival brownstone in Bed Stuy listed for $1.399 million. None are perfect, but all have original historic detail and appear to be in move-in condition. A few could benefit from cosmetic upgrades.

Let’s start at 299 Cumberland Street in the Fort Greene Historic District, where we find a mansard-roofed wood frame Greek Revival row house built as one of a pair around 1853. It lost its front porch and stoop sometime after the circa 1940 tax photo, and now has dark brown shingles and green shutters. Inside it has some beautiful original details, including carved marble mantels, some rather impressive ear moldings and wide plank floors. Currently a four-family with one apartment per floor, it appears to be in move-in condition but may need reconfiguring and removal of some split levels. It’s asking $2.7 million.

Next take a look at 411 East 7th Street in Kensington, where we have a compact standalone early 20th century wood frame house from the Arts & Crafts era. The single family home appears to be in good move-in condition, with four bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, a wood burning fireplace, parquet, stained glass, original staircase, and a dining room with paneled walls and a coffered ceiling. It may have a few unfortunate alterations — at some point the siding was stucco’d over and the sunroom altered — but probably nothing that can’t be fixed. There is parking as well, in a driveway, and room to build a garage where one used to stand. It wants $1.95 million.

Then at 208 East 3rd Street in Windsor Terrace, there’s a nicely updated detached Edwardian single-family house with a garage/art studio and driveway. Originally a wood frame with porch, it was unfortunately bricked over in 20th century. The attic has a cast-iron balcony with French doors opening from an office staged as a theoretical painting studio. A bedroom or guest room and cedar closet are carved into the remaining angles of the attic, and three other bedrooms are on the second level, though the bathroom is inconveniently accessed through only one of them. The ground floor’s dining room and living room are filled with picture frame molding and parquet, and a sunroom is proposed in the floor plan as a fifth bedroom for another big family or visiting in-laws. The bathrooms and kitchen look to be all nicely updated. It’s listed for $1.695 million.

Finally at 616 Macon Street in Bed Stuy, a Romanesque Revival brownstone with rough hewn stones, curved windows on the parlor level with foliate keystones, and a wooden cornice. Inside, nice features shown in the photos are stained glass windows and crown molding, but we don’t see a floor plan or bathrooms, and what is shown leaves room for upgrades such as new flooring throughout. This one is a two-family with altogether five bedrooms and three baths, and it’s asking $1.399 million.